


Its Echoes Ring Even Here

by Fnorf



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mind Reading - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-08-06 08:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16384646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fnorf/pseuds/Fnorf
Summary: From a young age, John's been able to read minds; well, hear nearby people's thoughts. CherryPepsiCola by popular demand (I took a poll and this won out by a long shot). The prose is going to be more purple than grape faygo. I'll update tags as I go.





	1. Prologue

It was years ago now when you dreamed of a grey-skinned teenager who dripped teal from their wounds and covered their eyes with a gritty red scarf. They called to you "John, I can't save my universe without your sacrifice. I'm not god tier, so my abilities are shortsighted."

Their words left your little head spinning, and in all your eloquence, you collected your sentiments into "Wuh?"

"You are one of many of yourself, from a timeline that never was or will be, however, exists. In order to use my powers of the mind, I'll have to give you some." Your eyes began to wander to the surroundings, great pyramids like you see in pictures of Egypt, though with a more orange tone. Your view floated to the neon-streaked sky as you woke to a typical Tuesday.

Their words rang loud in your ears as you pondered the meaning of your dream. Everything was normal as you prepared for school, save for your father's voice running through your mind. When you went out to greet him for your breakfast, you seemed to hear a conversation in his voice as he typed on his phone.

By the end of the day, you'd figured out you could read minds. You could hear everything the teacher was saying before she said it, heard the other kids' musings while they sat, bored trifles that even thinkers didn't care about. You also heard things you didn't want to, one kid couldn't push the thoughts of the previous night's abuse, others' were so loud that you couldn't hear anyone else if you didn't deliberately tune them out.

You came home dizzied and confused.

"Son, is everything alright?" your dad asked.

"I- no. I had a bad- no, I had a weird dream last- at least I think it was a dream- last night and now I think I can hear thoughts? I don't get it," you sputtered. Your dad chewed his lip and puzzled for a moment before speaking.

"Can you show me?" Good old dad, he could always tell when you were lying, and he always listened when you weren't.

"Uh, sure. You're thinking 'Is he serious? Can this happen,' right?" The look of astonishment that crossed his face deserved to be framed. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah," He started "Yes."

"Are you going to do something? Have me tested? Put me up for adoption?" you worried.

"What do you want me to do?" he offered.

"I- I don't know."

"Do you want to be tested?" You shook your head. "Do you want me to put you up for adoption?" Again you shook your head. "Then I won't be doing that."

A wave of calm surged you. It was all going to be alright. Just fine.

"School was difficult," you confessed. "I couldn't think over everyone's thoughts and some of them were scary and I don't think I can do school a lot anymore."

"I'll set you up with a tutor then," your dad decided.

And that was that. You were pulled out of school a week later, and your tutor, Ms. Mertyl, took over your lessons.


	2. Prologue Part Two: Electric Boogaloo: Ready, Set

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't expect any sort of schedule, at least for the time being. One more prologue part and then I'll start the story. Also thanks for 37 hits and 10 kudos! Also, if anyone wants to beta read, message me at Bivertebrate on Tumblr.

"Go," Bro told you, and you leaped out the nearest window, not even stopping when you grabbed the sword leaned next to it. You tucked into swan dive when Bro clung to the wall and tried to snag you. You hit the ground running, quite literally. Up this ledge, hop to that fire escape, it seemed almost routine at this point. You needed something new. Quickly, you dashed into the nearest park, where you hadn't gone before for fear of endangering the other kids, but Bro was hot on your trail. You were perched high over the blacktop, searching for a cranny or cove in which to hide when you heard him.

"Hey," he softly called "over here." Following his voice, you found an alcove concealed within a tree. He pointed upwards, showing you that the cavity expanded upwards like a chimney.

"Thanks," you murmured. He nodded. Climbing up, you began to wonder how he knew that you needed just this. Had he seen Bro chasing you? That could cause a problem. Still, looking a gift horse in the mouth was generally frowned upon, so as long as you were not spotted, this arrangement was cool with you.

"Hey, bro. Little bro, where are you?" rang outside the tree. It was working! "Alright, heading home without you then."

There was a lane of light streaming in at the top of the tree, a opening large enough to squeeze through, which you took advantage of and made it back to the apartment, where Bro waited. You knew that what lay for you there was congratulations or severe reprimand, but what ever the outcome, it wouldn't matter in the long run.


	3. Prologue Part Triple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last bit of prologue, I promise. Once the story starts upd8s will be of proper length, maybe.

You sat in the commune's van that smelled so much of vegetables. It was, as one would expect from packing 24 teens and two adults into a confined space, loud. If the radio was on, you couldn't hear it through your headphones, but Terezi was bobbing along to something. You turned your phone off and checked your eyeliner in the scratched screen. From where you sat, center-left in the second of the six rows behind the driver and passenger seats with Kankri on your left and Sollux then Aradia on your right. 

There was a tapping on your left shoulder. You turned to your right and Terezi motioned for you to remove your headphones. As you took the earbuds out a wide grin spread across their face.

"Hey Vriska, I'm blind, what's out the window?" they ponder aloud.

That tone never meant anything but trouble.

"Hmmmmmmmm, I wonder!" Vriska returned, Terezi's same smile plastered on her visage "Oh look! Could it be a Dairy Queen?"

Terezi sniffed the air, though you knew they didn't need to. "Why yes, I think it is!"

From the near back, Meenah spoke up "DAIR-Y QUEEN! DAIR-Y QUEEN!"

The rest of her row joined in, followed by the rows in front and behind, then everyone else, including you and excepting Kankri.

"Karkat, stop that!" he chided "Loud and violent protests do nothing." You glared at him and kept chanting.

Nick, the driver (and also one of your dads), turned around defeatedly, and you knew he wasn't even going to bother putting up a fight. "Fine. But don't tell Nel." he whimpered.

Nel, your other dad, whose name was actually Nelson, turned to face Nick from the passenger seat. "I'm right here, but yes, Dairy Queen is fine.

"FUCK YEAH!" Terezi roared.

The pulled into the parking lot blasting cheers from everyone (again save for Kankri, who was pretending to be dismayed). Your row slid out, followed by the one in front climbing over their seats, and the rest crawling over theirs, as your bus only had the one door for the seating area. Plowing into the restaurant, your group must have made quite a chatter, as the kid around your age who was there with their parent started to rock back and forth.

"Hey Sol," you said "order me an Oreo Blizzard or something."

"Sure thing," he confirmed.

You walked over to the kid, hoping you wouldn't intrude. "I'm Karkat, he/him pronouns."

They looked at you quizzically, but must have realized because they returned with "John, he/him."

"Sorry about the noise."

"It's not a problem. Are those your siblings?"

"Nah. We live together though, so I guess kinda."

"Huh. Neat!"

"What are you getting?"

"Cheese curds! They're my favorite."

"Cool. I'm getting a Blizzard."

"Yummy! What kind?"

"Oreo."

"Karkat! Time to go!" Nelson called.

"It was nice to meet you!" you told him.

"Nice to meet you too!" he waved as you left.

Once back in the van, Sol handed you your Blizzard, of course suspending it over your head first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm giving the ancestors regular names hopefully similar to their titles, Nick is the Psiioniic and Nelson is the Signless.


End file.
